Porcelain
by EWhiteOwl18
Summary: Going to an abandoned house on Halloween night with friends. What could go wrong? They never guessed that everything could shatter so easily. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Amuto and Kutau. Attempt at horror, but probably more suspenseful than horror.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! I came up with this idea a few months ago, and decided it would be fun to do. This is going to be a Halloween fanfic, but I'm going to do it over the entire month of October. This is the first chapter, and the last one will be on Halloween. It's gonna be really fun! Hope you guys like it!**

 **Porcelain**

 **Chapter 1**

 _Our lives were so normal,  
simple as could be.  
Who would've thought  
they could shatter so easily?_

 _This is a bad idea._

As Amu stared at the dilapidated house standing before her, her boyfriend, and her other friends, that was the only thing she could think. _Why did I agree to do this? This is an awful idea!_

But she remembered why. She remembered her lapse of judgement very clearly.

 _"Hey, guys, we should go to a haunted house!"_

 _Kukai's exclamation came randomly, with no provocation whatsoever. Amu was lying on the couch, snuggling into Ikuto's side with his arm around her. "You mean like the House of Horror?" Amu questioned, curious as to what brought this on._

 _Utau, who was currently under Kukai's arm, scoffed. "Please. We all know that it's fake. It would be a waste of time."_

 _Before Utau had even finished her sentence, Kukai started shaking his head. "No, not like that. I mean like a legitimate haunted house. You know that abandoned house at the very end of Seiyo Street? Well, I've heard rumors that the place is haunted. Really haunted. How cool would it be if we went and checked it out?"_

 _Ikuto hummed in something like interest with an undertone of approval._

 _Utau rolled her eyes. "No. That's stupid. You know that we're just going to be walking around in a dirty old house. It'll be more boring than a sponsored haunted house."_

 _Kukai grinned at her, a challenge in his eyes. "You're just scared."_

 _Utau froze. She turned slowly to look at Kukai. There was a spark in her eye. "What?"_

 _Kukai answered nonchalantly, "No, I get it. I should've guessed a real haunted house would've been too much for you. I probably would've had to have you crushing my hand the whole time-"_

 _"I would not!" There was a slightly blush on Utau's face, but it was far out-shadowed by the fire in her eyes. "I bet that I would have to drag you all the way through the house!"_

 _"Is that a challenge?"_

 _"Obviously!"_

 _"So what do you say?"_

 _"YOU'RE ON!"_

 _Seeing that Utau was obviously on board, Ikuto decided it was his turn to convince Amu. From the way she was biting her lip, she would probably be slightly more difficult to convince than Utau had been._

 _"What do you think? It could be fun."_

 _Amu wasn't convinced. "Yeah, and dangerous. Didn't he say it was an old house? The foundations or floor could be rotten. Someone could get hurt!"_

 _"It hasn't been abandoned that long. I'm sure it isn't that bad."_

 _"But there could be wild animals in there! What if one of us got bitten by a rabid raccoon?"_

 _"You know what I think?" Ikuto's voice dropped to a whisper and he leaned close to Amu's ear. She shivered as his breath tickled her ear. "I think you're nervous about being alone with me in a dark place."_

 _Amu's face turned as red as a strawberry. "A-as if!"_

 _Ikuto had to stop himself from chuckling. He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. Amu closed her eyes, her blush still evident on her face. After a few seconds, Ikuto pulled away and looked deep into Amu's golden eyes. "Please?"_

She shouldn't have been allowed to make a decision at that moment, she realized in hindsight. Stupid Ikuto had made her brains turn into mush. She probably would've agree to anything he suggested at that moment.

Amu's fogged mind had thought that with Utau and Kukai there, nothing too bad could happen, right?

Like she said. She shouldn't have been allowed to make a decision.

"Um... Are we sure this is a good idea, guys?" Amu's voice was timid.

Ikuto turned to look at her quizzically. "Of course. Why?"

Amu shuffled her feet, squirming a little. "I don't know... We still don't know what's in there. Someone could get hurt by rabid animals or poisonous spiders or..." _Or something worse._

"Or ghosts?" Ikuto teased.

Amu blushed furiously. "No! Of course not! That's ridiculous! I'm just worried that someone could get hurt!"

"By ghosts or werewolves?"

Amu blushed even harder. " _No!_ Someone could fall, or the floor could collapse!"

Ikuto chuckled deep in his throat and leaned closer to her, whispering in her ear. "Don't worry, I'll protect you." A smirk graced his features.

Amu wasted no time before pushing him away, turning her back to him.

"Seriously though, Amu. You don't have to worry about anything. I'll be right here the entire time." Ikuto gently touched the small of her back, and Amu felt oddly reassured by that. She still didn't understand how the same man who aggravated her to no end could set her at ease just as easily.

"Okay." Amu paused for a moment. "I'm not scared."

Ikuto smiled at her back. "Of course not."

Amu glanced at Utau and Kukai, who were currently arguing about who would run out of the house first. _I hope this was a good idea._

Ikuto wrapped his hand around the old, rusty doorknob. "Are you ready?" The question was addressed to all three of the teenagers, but he looked directly at Amu as he asked. She swallowed hard, preparing herself. Kukai and Utau stared at the door, excited about their competition.

Ikuto turned the rusty knob and pushed against the door, which refused to open. By the grimace on his face, it was obvious he wasn't happy about that. He promptly pressed against it with his shoulder, putting all his weight into it.

The door burst open, letting out an ungodly scream. Dust from the floor blew up in a storm, forced into the atmosphere by the sudden intake of air. When it settled, Ikuto smirked back at the three people behind him. "Let's go."

 **Done! So, what do you think? Good, decent, eh, bad, oh-my-good-Lord-what-possessed-you-to-write-something-so-awful? I won't know unless you tell me, so please review, fave, or follow! Happy October, everyone! XP XP XP**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! So here's chapter two. I hope you guys like it!**

 **Porcelain**

 **Chapter 2**

 _The door burst open, letting out an ungodly scream. Dust from the floor blew up in a storm, forced into the atmosphere by the sudden intake of air. When it settled, Ikuto smirked back at the three people behind him. "Let's go."_

Ikuto took Amu's hand gently and led her into the house, walking slowly. Kukai and Utau followed right behind them, all but pushing them to go faster. All the while, they stared at each other, their eyes practically on fire.

"I bet you'll run out first," Utau taunted.

Kukai snorted. "How much you wanna bet?"

"The usual. When you lose, you make dinner for the next week."

"And when you lose, you're all mine for an entire day."

"Have fun slaving over a hot stove for the next seven days."

"Just wait till you see what I have in store for you."

Amu, however, only looked around the house, unsure, still wondering if they made the right choice by going to the house.

Ikuto squeezed her hand in silent reassurance, catching her golden eyes with his deep blue ones. She smiled gently and squeezed his hand too.

The house was much bigger than it had seemed from the outside. It was no mansion, but it certainly wasn't a cottage. The ceiling was high like what you would expect to find in the nineteenth century. There was what used to be a beautiful staircase on their left, but all that was left was a few iffy floorboards that looked like they could collapse at any moment. The walls were bare.

Amu was busy taking all of this in when suddenly, something wrapped around her ankle. A choked scream escaped her lips.

Everyone froze in place, turning to look at Amu. She was trembling. "Something is touching my leg...!"

The other three's eyes slowly ran down her body until they reached her legs. They stood in silence for about three seconds.

And then Ikuto started to laugh.

"Maybe you're right. Maybe it was a bad idea to come here." Amu tensed as Ikuto crouched down at Amu's feet. "This car may be the end of us."

Amu blinked. "What?"

Ikuto picked up the inky black cat and pet its hand before putting it back on the ground. Amu's eyes never left it so she was the only one who noticed. She noticed how it ran a few steps away, but then stopped and looked back at them with yellow, calculating, almost human eyes before melting into the darkness.

"We better move on before it comes back," Ikuto said, still smirking.

Amu couldn't stop herself from trembling. "Yeah..."

The house creaked every time the wind blew. This only served to make Amu even more terrified. Ikuto tugged her forward to a door at the end of the foyer. It was open, as if waiting for them to come.

Before Ikuto could walk through the doorway, Kukai spoke.

"Dude, let me and Utau go in first. It's hardly a competition if we've got someone walking ahead of us like a bodyguard."

Utau was quick to add, "I want to beat him fair and square."

Ikuto couldn't help it. He gave them a look that scream _Really?_ But he just sighed and said, "Okay. After you." He swept his arm toward the door. Kukai and Utau grinned.

"Thanks, dude." Kukai led Utau through the doorway. When they were both through, Kukai turned back, grinning. "Well? Are you two coming-?"

Suddenly, the door slammed shut between the two couples.

"What the hell?" Ikuto exclaimed. He turned the knob furiously, but it wouldn't budge. He jiggled it every which way, he tried to turn it with both hands, he even kicked and shoved the door itself, but to no avail. It refused to open. "It won't open!" he yelled.

Kukai threw himself against the door in an attempt to force it open, but he had no more luck than Ikuto. All he managed to do was hurt his shoulder. He hissed in pain, rubbing his injured shoulder, before yelling, "I think it's rusted shut!"

Utau froze. "What?" A chill went up her spine. Something wasn't right about what Kukai was saying. She didn't know what, but she got the feeling that it was important. Very important.

The four people stood in silence for a few moments. Kukai was the first to speak. "We'll meet you back at the entrance. There's gotta be another way out, right?"

Pause. "Yeah, okay."

Amu turned to Ikuto and looked at him like he'd just grown a second head. And a third. "Are you insane?!"

Ikuto didn't seem to understand the problem. "What?"

"We can't just wait here! What if one of them gets hurt? We have to go find them!"

Ikuto shook his head. "Amu, I'm telling you. It's safe. They'll be fine."

"How do you know that?"

He glanced at her, hesitating, as if trying to decide if he should tell her something. He eventually sighed, giving in. "Well, actually me and Kukai planned to ask you guys to come here. We wanted to scare you. We came here a few days ago to check it out and make sure everything was safe. As far as we can tell, there's no real danger."

"Well, if there's no real danger, then there's no reason not to go find them."

Ikuto watched her for a few seconds before sighing. "I guess we can go."

Amu smiled victoriously. "Thank you."

But Ikuto felt something strange in his stomach. A feeling of unease. Of impending danger. "Sure."

* * *

Kukai and Utau were walking in silence. They were no longer in competition mode; they'd become far more serious since the door had closed on them. That's when Kukai noticed the thoughtful look on Utau's face. "What's wrong?"

The blonde shook her head. "It's nothing. Just... Something about what you said earlier bothers me, about the door being rusted."

Kukai cocked his head to the side. "What about it?"

Utau rolled her eyes. "If I knew, it wouldn't be bothering me."

Kukai smiled down at her and touched his forehead to hers. "You're just scared and looking for an excuse out of our bet."

The second the words were out of his mouth, Utau pushed him away, indignant. "Yeah, right. In your dreams."

Kukai reached for her hand. "C'mon. We gotta get back to Ikuto and Amu."

The blonde looked down at his outstretched hand. And then she turned and started walking ahead of him. "You're right. Now hurry up, or I'm going to leave you behind."

Kukai retracted his hand, smiling tenderly. He loved his girlfriend. "Okay then."

A sudden gust of wind made the house groan loudly. Utau froze.

"What's wrong?" Kukai asked.

"The door closed." Utau's voice was just a whisper.

Kukai furrowed his eyebrows, obviously confused. "Yeah, which is why we're looking for another way out."

"No, Kukai," Utau continued. " _The door closed._ We didn't close it, and there was no wind. So how did a rusted door close on its own?"

Kukai tensed as the information sank in. _The door closed._ A cold feeling ran down the back of his neck and he slowly turned to look at the door, still closed.

"Utau, come closer to me," he said. _We have to leave. Now._

"Kukai... Something is touching my leg."

Kukai's head whipped to look at Utau and his eyes fell to her leg. Something cold settle into his stomach. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

 _That's not a cat._

 **Done! So, what did you think? Good, bad, okay, horrid? I assume it's bad unless you review! Please review, fave, and/or follow!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter three! Thanks for tuning in! XP XP XP**

 **Porcelain**

 **Chapter 3**

The room was on the brink of destruction.

That was Amu's opinion, of course. The used-to-be living room was in tatters. The carpet was moist and dirty as if it had been flooded, and the wallpaper was in similar disrepair. A love-seat was torn to shreds, like a panther had been set loose on it. The cat's work, probably. A glass-surfaced coffee table was right before the love-seat, but the glass was shattered, with only a few shards remaining in the frame. The rest had become dust on the ground.

The only thing that was in decent condition was a family portrait above the fireplace, with was filled with damp wood. It was a beautiful picture. Except...

"Woah," Ikuto said. "Someone must've really hated that guy."

The father-or so they assumed-was beheaded.

A perfectly horizontal line crossed right across the man's neck, taking the top fourth of the picture with it. It was eerie.

A gleam of white caught Amu's attention. She slowly walked over to the porcelain doll she saw on the floor. It was lolita-goth styled, with bright blonde hair and purple eyes. It was in remarkably pristine condition. She was about to put it on the mantel when she took a second look. "Ikuto."

Amu's boyfriend looked over her shoulder. "What is it?"

The pinkette held the doll out to him. "Who does this look like to you?"

Ikuto was about to blow it off as nothing and tease her for being scared until he took a second look. He peered at it for another five seconds. "It looks... Like Utau."

Neither of them said anything for a moment. Amu shrugged and placed the doll back on the mantel. "That's a weird coincidence. We should definitely show that to Utau and Kukai on our way out."

Ikuto glanced at the doll one more time before following Amu out the door. "Yeah."

* * *

"Utau, do not move."

Kukai had never seen her so tense, and with good reason. There was a onyx-black snake curling around her leg. It was three feet long, but only two inches in diameter. Its catlike green eyes stared at Kukai as if daring him to do something. It curled a little bit closer to Utau's leg and she yelped. "Kukai!"

"I'm thinking!" The brunette ran his fingers through his hair furiously, not knowing what to do and angry because of it. Utau was going to be hurt, and it was all his fault!

"Kukai." He looked up to meet his girlfriend's purple eyes. "Breathe. You're okay. We're both going to be okay."

And for a moment, he believed her. Until he saw the snake unhinge its jaw and move to attack Utau's pale flesh.

The boy said the first thing that came to mind. "Kick!"

As soon as the word escaped his lips, the snake was flying through the air. It landed a foot in front of Kukai. He didn't hesitate before stepping on it. Again. And again. And again. He must've stepped on it fifty times before he finally crushed its skull.

Breath rushed in and out of his lungs. A green, acid-looking liquid pooled where the snake's fangs used to be. He didn't want to know what that would've done.

The brunette stormed over to the blonde. "Kukai, are you okay? You must've stepped on that five-"

Without a word, he pulled Utau close to his chest, pinning her arms to her side with one arm and grasping her head with the other. "Oh God," he whispered. "Oh God. I thought you were dead. I thought you were gonna die. That's the scariest thing that's ever happened to me. I thought I was going to lose you..."

Utau couldn't have been taken more off-guard by the comment. But slowly, a gentle smile crept onto her face. "Kukai? Can you let me go now?"

Kukai's grip only tightened. "No!" He sounded like a small child.

"Please, Kukai? I want to hold you."

Kukai paused before reluctantly agreeing, loosening his grip. Utau softly wrapped her arms around his chest, and Kukai pulled her back in. "I love you, Kukai."

The boy smiled. "I love you too-"

Suddenly, Utau's body stiffened before relaxing again. She drooped in Kukai's arms.

Dread filled Kukai's stomach. "Utau? Utau, get up! Utau!"

Kukai searched the room for the cause and his blood ran cold at the source.

A little girl with white-blond hair in a white dress, holding a porcelain doll that looked suspiciously like Utau was standing beside the black snake that Kukai had just killed. It's mangled head seemed to smile at Kukai, baring fangs that were covered in Utau's blood.

 _No, no, nonono..._ _"Utau!"_

* * *

Amu's ear twitched. "Did you hear that?"

Ikuto cocked his head to the side. "Hear what?"

 _"Utau!"_

Amu and Ikuto shared a look before they darted towards the sound.

"What do you think happened?" Amu asked.

"I have no idea," Ikuto responded.

"I thought you said it was safe!"

"It was! We just checked it yesterday! We even stomped on the floorboards to make sure!"

 _Then what is going on here?!_

Ikuto brought her to a stop. "Something's there."

They both stared at the tiled floor of the kitchen. Neither one of them so much as breathed.

 _Oh, God,_ Amu thought. _What if this is what attacked Kukai and Utau? What if Utau and Kukai were attacked? Oh no, what if its-?_

Light green eyes appeared out of the darkness and Amu and Ikuto let out a say of relief. The cat.

"Come on, Ikuto, we have to hurry. We don't know what's wrong." Amu grabbed his hand, about to drag him along. The hiss of the cat deepened, turning into more a growl. Ikuto's eyes widened.

"Amu, look out!" Ikuto shoved the pinkette out of the way, making her fall flat on her face, right as the panther leaped out of the shadows, sinking its fangs into his arm.

The panther ran back into the living room, taking Ikuto with him. "Ikuto! Ikuto!"

She watched as the big cat dragged him up the flight of rickety stairs. _"Ikuto!"_

 **Done! Sorry its posted so late. There was something of an incident. Let's just say that my arms are killing me right now. XP XP XP Thank you so much for reading! Please review, fave, and/or follow!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey again! Sorry I didn't post this last night. I went out and didn't get home until ten, but I was so exhausted from this week that I decided not to write (I've tried writing when I'm exhausted before. It doesn't end well.) Hope you like it!**

 **Porcelain**

 **Chapter 4**

 _The panther ran back into the living room, taking Ikuto with him. "Ikuto! Ikuto!"_

 _She watched as the big cat dragged him up the flight of rickety stairs. "_ Ikuto! _"_

She had to go after him.

Amu was terrified. Hadn't Ikuto said that he and Kukai had come and checked for safety the night before? It would be pretty difficult to miss a giant panther out to kill, Amu imagined. Since it didn't seem to be after anything else. For protection it would've killed both of them on the spot.

But Amu shook her head frantically. It didn't matter _why_ it was here. Only that it was. And it had Ikuto.

She had to get to him.

Even though she knew it was stupid, she darted up the stairs. Her foot broke through the first step and she was thrown to the ground, slamming her body against the next four. She heard some groan, but none of them gave way.

"Ikuto!" Amu screamed.

A man's voice split the air in a deafening shout, but seconds later it was drowned out by an inhuman roar.

 _"He's going to play with us,"_ a girl's childish voice whispered. _"We're going to be best friends. Forever."_

 _"Ikuto!"_

Another beastly howl rang into the night, celebrating its victory.

* * *

"Ikuto!"

As he was being dragged up the stairs by the inky black panther, Amu cried his name.

He had to get away. Back to Amu. He had to get her and Kukai and Utau out of here. Or wake up, if this was some kind of sick nightmare.

The panther threw Ikuto to the top of the stairs, tossing him against a wall. All of the air was forced out of his lungs. Before he could even think of escaping, the panther had grabbed his ankle and begun dragging him along again.

The panther, Ikuto's ankle still in its mouth, darted through an open door. In a desperate attempt to get away from the big cat, Ikuto latched onto the door frame. The panther halted as soon as it felt the resistance.

Ikuto knew it was a dumb idea to hold the side of the doorway like that. The panther could easily pull off his foot. It was perfectly within its capabilities to do so.

And then... It didn't.

It tugged his leg forcefully, trying to get him off of the doorway, but not forcefully enough to take off his foot. Ikuto hoped that maybe, by some miracle, the cat might let him go. That it had decided he wasn't worth the effort.

No such luck.

The panther growled deep in its chest, aggravated that Ikuto was resisting. It dropped Ikuto's leg to the ground. And when his ankle hit the hardwood floor, a bolt of pain shot up his leg. Ikuto couldn't help but let go of the door.

Without a moment's hesitation, the panther grabbed his ankle again, once again dragging him away from the stairs. Ikuto dug his nails into the floor, trying to find purchase on something, anything, but all he managed to do was break his nails and make his fingers bleed. His blood left streaks in his tracks. He finally found a hole in the floor just wide enough for him to hold onto.

Splinters dug into his hands as he caught it and held on for dear life, because his very well depended on it. The panther tugged on his ankle again, and the splinters dug deeper into his hands, but he didn't let go. When it dropped his foot, he didn't let go. And when it picked up his foot again and walked backwards, he still didn't let go. Instead, he bucked his other foot back as hard as he could, kicking it in the face.

It was a good shot; he managed to catch both its nose and right eye in one blow. Of course, the panther wasn't as impressed as Ikuto. It yelped in pain and dropped Ikuto once again.

 _This is my chance!_ Ikuto jumped up and managed to take one step before he collapsed under his now-useless ankle. He hit the ground, scraping up his arms and neck. But he refused to give up. He proceeded to try and drag himself out of the room.

Unfortunately, the panther was back on its feet.

It growled deep in its chest, furious at Ikuto, before it pounced on him, standing over him, growling in his face. About to maul him.

It had raised its paw, about to strike, when a young girl's voice said softly, "Kitty."

Both Ikuto and the panther froze. What on earth was a child doing here? And why on earth would she call something so big and terrifying "kitty"?!

The panther looked behind itself. The girl continued speaking. "Come on, Kitty. We have to go. It's time for the tea party."

The big cat hissed in anger, but backed off and walked over to the girl slowly. Ikuto propped himself up on his elbows, trying to catch a glimpse of the girl.

She was pale, unhealthily so, and yet she looked... unreal, somehow. Like if he tried to touch her, his hand would go right through her. Her hair was long and white blonde, and she had pale, pale blue eyes. She wore a white dress and she held a porcelain doll clutched against her chest. And the panther sat beside her, curling its long tail around her feet.

The girl gently placed a hand on the big cat's head, even though it was as tall as she was standing when it was sitting.

"Who are you?" Ikuto asked.

The girl smiled a little. "Come have tea with us."

Ikuto blinked. "What?"

But she was already gone.

Ikuto wondered what on earth she was talking about, and how she managed to disappear into thin air. How she had tamed a panther that just tried to kill him.

Suddenly, his ankle throbbed in white hot pain. He curled his hands into fists, his nails digging into the already-there cuts. It felt like all his bones were shattering and then remolding themselves into the wrong position. He yelled out in agony.

Ikuto's voice echoed down the hallway, all throughout the house, until it reached Amu's ears. A cry she thought was the roar of a panther, celebrating its victory.

* * *

 _A little girl with white-blond hair in a white dress, holding a porcelain doll that looked suspiciously like Utau was standing beside the black snake that Kukai had just killed. It's mangled head seemed to smile at Kukai, baring fangs that were covered in Utau's blood._

 _No, no, nonono... "Utau!"_

Although he knew he shouldn't, Kukai began to shake Utau's shoulders, panicking. "Utau? Utau, what's wrong? What's going on?"

Utau immediately pushed off his chest, scowling. "You're so loud. I'm fine, it just caught me off-guard-" She stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Kukai quickly caught her. He began to run his hand through her long, blonde hair.

 _What do I do? What do I do? I've never dealt with anything like this before..._

He thought of every movie he'd seen and every book he'd read. "Uh... Lay down!"

"What?"

Kukai continued to lay her down on the ground as if she were made of glass. "Now stay still, okay?"

Utau gave him a weird look but said, "Um... Okay."

Kukai grabbed her calf with one hand and her ankle with the other, staring at it hesitantly. He built up all his courage before placing his lips against her skin and trying to suck all the bad blood out of her system.

Utau's purple eyes opened wide and her own screams filled the air. But Kukai kept going.

He managed to get out two mouthfuls when some invisible force shoved him away, throwing him back three feet before landing on his butt. He let out a small, "Oomph!"

Some disembodied voice hissed, "She's _mine._ "

Kukai's voice was hoarse from terror and grief as he yelled back, "No she's not! She's her own person! She doesn't _belong_ to anyone! Besides, if she's dead then it won't make much difference, now will it?!"

But the voice said again, "Mine..." before fading away.

Kukai's breath rushed in and out of his lungs, in and out. He quickly crawled over and tried to continue with is previous work. But just like before, some invisible force pushed him back. Every time he tried, he was only forced away. His best shot was to get her out of this godforsaken house. Who had thought it was a good idea to come here?!

So Kukai instead put one of Utau's arms over his shoulders and one of his own around her waist before trying to walk with her towards the exit. "Come on, Utau, stay with me for just a little longer. We're gonna get you out of here, okay? We're gonna get you out of here and you're gonna get better. I promise."

Utau snorted weakly. "Such a kid. You're crying."

Kukai touched his face and realize that she was right. He quickly wiped away the tears. "No, I'm not."

She hummed. "If you say so."

The second those words were out of her mouth, the floor beneath them caved in, dropping them down into what must've been a basement. They hit the ground forcefully and coughed, trying to get the dust out of their lungs.

Kukai finally managed to open one eye and take in their surroundings. His eyes widened. "What the...?"

* * *

Amu had decided that she was going to continue trying to climb the stairs anyways.

Her steps were as light as she could possibly make them. Some stairs groaned, and some even cracked, but she managed to make it all the way up the staircase without falling. She kept her steps just as light on the second floor wood as well, just in case it was as weak as the stairs.

"Ikuto?" Amu whispered. "Ikuto, are you here? Please, please say that you're okay... Please, just say something. Anything..."

There was heavy breathing behind her and Amu's heart beat a little harder, hoping that maybe he was alive. She turned around quickly. "Ikuto, is that-?"

Her words died in her mouth and she stared at the scene before her.

Before a loud, earth-shattering scream escaped her mouth.

 **Done! Okay, so the next chapter will be the last one. Again, I'm sorry that I was late on this one, but I tried to make it longer to make it up to you! So what do you think? Good, bad, amazing, horrible? I assume horrible unless you say otherwise! So please review, fave, and/or follow! Please? :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey, guys! So this is going to be the final chapter. I hope you like it and liked the story!**

 **Porcelain**

 **Final Chapter**

 _The second those words were out of her mouth, the floor beneath them caved in, dropping them down into what must've been a basement. They hit the ground forcefully and coughed, trying to get the dust out of their lungs._

 _Kukai finally managed to open one eye and take in their surroundings. His eyes widened. "What the...?"_

They were everywhere. Covering almost every inch of the floor. Piled high in the corners. Each one exactly the same.

Porcelain dolls were scattered all around the room.

The sheer number of them wasn't the part that terrified Kukai the most though. No, he was much more nervous about how every single doll was bare. No face painted on. No clothes. Not even any hair on any of their porcelain skulls. They were blank slates. And it was far creepier than Kukai ever thought they could be.

When Utau finally opened her eyes and took in the sight, she grasped Kukai as tightly as she could in her weakened state. "What on earth is this?"

Kukai pulled Utau closer. "I have no idea."

Something caught Kukai's eye. There was one other bare section of the floor, aside from the space where the two were currently sitting. It was three feet wide and in an almost perfect circle.

And set up in the middle of the circle was a small table, with four completed porcelain dolls sitting down motionlessly. As if they were having some sort of tea party.

They looked like they hadn't been sitting there for long. The amount of dust on them was minimal, and they seemed to be taken care of relatively well. What scared Kukai about this was that for them to be taken care of, someone had to be there.

Which meant that they weren't alone in this house.

Someone could very well be out to kill them.

An image of the little blonde girl crossed his mind. _It couldn't be... Could it?_

A weak cough escaped Utau's lips. "Kukai..."

Kukai shook his head furiously. It didn't matter. He had to get her out of here. As soon as possible.

"It's okay, I've got you, Utau. Everything will be okay." Taking one last glance at all the blank dolls, Kukai swept Utau off her feet, needing to move as quickly as he could and knowing that in her current state, his girlfriend wouldn't be able to move quickly.

"Kukai, put me down!"

"No can do, princess. We have to move, fast. And this is the best way to do it."

Utau was quiet for a moment before she whispered, "Okay."

The brunette climbed over the piles of dolls toward the rickety staircase and carefully, carefully went back up to the first floor. He opened the door and nearly fell backwards down the stairs he'd just climbed.

The blonde little girl stood before him, her innocent face cool. As if she were about to throw a tantrum.

"I _said,_ she's _mine_ ," the girl said quietly.

"No!" Kukai argued.

The little girl's eyes turned bright red and she hissed at him. She reached into his stomach, her hand passing right through his skin, and suddenly Kukai was unconscious.

* * *

 _There was heavy breathing behind her and Amu's heart beat a little harder, hoping that maybe he was alive. She turned around quickly. "Ikuto, is that-?"_

 _Her words died in her mouth and she stared at the scene before her._

 _Before a loud, earth-shattering scream escaped her mouth._

Messy blue hair.

Blood everywhere.

Irises ringed in red.

Fangs protruding from a familiar mouth.

A long tail at the base of a back she knew well.

Ears bent back as if about to attack.

Ikuto, before her on all fours with blue fur covering his calves and forearms, like half of a blue panther, claws sprouted from his fingers and toes, looking like he was about to kill her.

Amu threw her hands before her mouth in horror. What had happened? This couldn't be Ikuto, could it? Surely she was seeing things. This wasn't possible. Werewolves don't exist.

"Ikuto...?" The name came out as a whisper, as if not believing. Or too scared to admit the truth. A hiss escaped the creature's lips.

"No," she whispered. "Nonononono. This isn't right. Werewolves don't exist. Ghosts don't exist. None of this exists."

But there was no way to deny that what was crouching on its hands and _feet_ before her was in fact her boyfriend. Amu fell to her knees, trying to comprehend how this could've happened. Sure, he was bitten by a panther, but it was a panther. Did werepanthers exist? Was that a possibility?

Amu slowly reached for Ikuto's face, her hand shaking. She had to know. She had to know if this was really him. Ikuto cringed away from her hand, hissing at her with his ears back and his tail tense, but Amu kept reaching for him. Her fingers brushed his cheek. Yes, that was his face. There was no doubt.

Tears built up in Amu's eyes. "Ikuto!" The pinkette threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her, holding him tightly like she would never let go. Ikuto tensed so tightly Amu was afraid he would break. He shook as if restraining himself.

"I'm so sorry, Ikuto," Amu sobbeed. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have let you come here, I shouldn't have let any of us come here. I shouldn't... I shouldn't..." Her voice cracked and she broke down. She couldn't speak.

Ikuto's hands, his claws dug into the hardwood floor, leaving large gashes in the woodwork. Restraint. He had to restrain himself. Amu. Amu. Amu. He snaked his long tail around Amu's waist. Amu. Amu. Amu.

Suddenly the fangs disappeared. The claws retreated back into his fingers. His eyes faded to sapphire. Ikuto wrapped his arms tightly around Amu, holding her tightly, as if letting her go would kill him. The tail retreated into his spine and the ears bent back into his skull.

"I'm so sorry," Amu whispered.

Ikuto grasped the back of her shirt. "Amu, please don't ever leave me."

Amu held him tighter. "As long as you don't, I won't."

An animal hunger was in Ikuto's chest, one he'd never felt before, but he held it at bay. He got the feeling he didn't want to know what would happen if he didn't.

A loud cracking sound like the collapse of wood ripped throughout the house, making the two people freeze. "Oh god," Amu whispered. "Kukai and Utau."

Ikuto held his girlfriend at arm's length. "Are you okay to keep going?"

Amu laughed weakly. "I should be asking you that."

It hadn't occurred to him that maybe he was the one in more danger here. But he said, "I'm going to keep going no matter what. But if you want to leave now, then I'll bring you outside and come back in for them."

Amu was shaking her head before he even finished his sentence. "No," she said. "They're my friends too. We've got to go get them before something happens to them too."

As Ikuto lead her down the stairs again, he didn't mention that he was afraid they might already be too late.

* * *

When Kukai woke up, he was propped up against the corner in the basement again. His eyes absorbed the information around him. The small table was gone, replaced by a larger one with four people sitting around it. The way they seemed to smile seemed so fake it felt as though they'd been painted on their faces.

And then, Kukai took a closer look.

They were the same. These people looked exactly like the porcelain dolls that he'd seen earlier.

"We're having a tea party."

The little girl from earlier turned to look at Kukai, who jumped at the sound of her voice. Her eyes were normal again, light blue, innocent as a dove. She looked like any ordinary kid.

"Well, if your so busy, then we should probably leave," Kukai said. He went to lift himself up but couldn't so much as move a finger. He struggled to the best of his ability. "What?"

"I can't let you leave though," the girl said. "I have two more dolls that are being prepared. We're waiting for our new guests."

Kukai stared at the little girl. "What are you talking about?"

"Look." The girl pointed to one corner of the room. His emerald eyes followed her finger and he tensed.

"Utau!" Her limp body was sprawled across a pile of blank dolls. Her eyes were fluttering, looking like she was about to pass out. She looked like she would last five more minutes at the rate she was deteriorating. An image of Utau's body, cold and still, never to speak again, never to smile again or compete or-

"LET HER GO!" Kukai struggled with all his might, but all he managed was to topple himself over. She didn't even answer him.

"I'm not going to kill her," the little girl said. "We're going to be best friends forever. I wouldn't kill her."

"Well what do you call that then, huh?!" Kukai bellowed, his voice cracking. "That's not how you treat a best friend!"

"I'm preparing her. Look." The girl held up a doll that Kukai hadn't noticed before.

A doll that looked exactly like Utau. The only error was the proportions of her face.

"As soon as she looks perfect, we're going to play together for however long I want," the girl continued. "She's going to be a little different from everyone else though." The girl looked over at Utau. "She's going to be Sleeping Beauty."

Kukai stared at the little girl. "What are you talking about?"

The girl smiled. "She's going to join them."

"Who?" Her eyes flicked over to the table of four. The ones whose smiles were so fake. His eyes widened. "That's not possible."

The girl cocked her head to the side. "Yes it is. My daddy taught me."

* * *

 _"Okay, Melanie, Daddy's going to show you something that you have to keep an absolute secret."_

 _Melanie looked up expectantly at her father. "Okay, Daddy! Whatever you say!"_

 _Daddy smiled at Melanie. "You love those porcelain dolls Daddy always gets for you, don't you?"_

 _Melanie beamed. "Those are my favorite! They're so pretty! And we can be best friends forever!"_

 _Daddy grinned, but Melanie didn't notice the evil undertone to it. "Daddy's going to make it so that you really can be best friends forever."_

 _Melanie didn't understand. "But aren't we already friends forever?"_

 _"No, not forever. But Daddy's going to make it so that you will never age, and you'll never die. You'll be just the way you are forever. And then you can be together forever."_

 _Melanie smiled. "You're amazing, Daddy!"_

 _Daddy grinned again. "That's my girl. Now follow me."_

 _Daddy took Melanie's hand gently and brought her to the door in the kitchen. Melanie paused. "What is it?" Daddy asked. He sounded angry._

 _"Well... Mommy said that I should never go down there... She said that there were monsters down there..."_

 _Daddy made a face. "There are no monsters down there. Besides, Daddy will protect you from anything that could hurt you."_

 _Melanie smiled widely. "Okay!" And she continued down the forbidden stairs, hoping that Mommy would never find out._

 _What she found at the bottom confused her. "What is this, Daddy?" There were porcelain dolls that weren't painted scattered around the edges of the room and a big wooden table with straps on it in the middle of it. She didn't like it down here._

 _"This is where Daddy makes all of your dolls," he answered. Melanie didn't like the smile on his face. It scared her._

 _"I didn't know you made the dolls." Her voice was shrinking._

 _"Yes, but Daddy's dolls are special. Daddy doesn't paint the dolls, and they aren't just dolls. Look." Daddy held up a doll that Melanie had never seen before. It was a man that looked familiar to her._

 _"Is that Mr. Gregory?" He had the same hair and eyes. But Melanie hadn't seen Mr. Gregory for several weeks. When could Daddy have made this with such perfect detail?_

 _Daddy smiled and nodded. "Yes, it is. I'll show you how I do it." Daddy picked Melanie up by the waist and lifted her onto the hard wooden table. She didn't like it. "Now lay down for Daddy, would you?"_

 _Melanie shook her head profusely. "I don't want to!"_

 _Daddy got angry. "I said to lay down."_

 _"No!"_

 _Daddy pushed Melanie down onto the table, accidentally slamming her head against the wood. Melanie's head hurt. Daddy put the straps across Melanie's wrists and ankles, pinning her in place. Her piercing screams echoed throughout the house, but no one else was home to hear it. Mommy had been gone for a few days, and she didn't know where she went._

 _Daddy shoved dust in Melanie's mouth, making her choke it down. She tried to hack it up, but it wouldn't come out of her lungs._

 _"Now Daddy's going to let you live forever with your friends."_

* * *

Kukai listened in horror to the little girl's story. "He _mummified_ you?"

Melanie nodded. "He let me live forever. But it really hurt, so I did something bad. I wanted a Headless Horseman doll, and he was sitting nearby, and I didn't feel like waiting, so I made him eat dust and made him a doll. See? Look." She walked over to a chest in the far corner of the room and, sure enough, she pulled out a headless doll. "Come play with me, Horseman."

The second the words escaped her lips, a shimmery figure appeared beside her. A headless man that was a perfect replica of the doll she held. Ice gripped Kukai's heart. Is that what was about to become of Utau?

"My dolls are special, because we can play with each other as real size people. And I wanted a Sleeping Beauty, and she was hear, so I picked her."

But when did she get her to eat the dust? Kukai recalled how when they had opened the door, dust had blown into their faces. Into their lungs. Kukai had thought it strange, since when they had come to check the place out the night before there hadn't been any dust, but he hadn't thought much of it. Now he knew why.

"Let her go," Kukai said.

"No."

The door at the top of the stairs suddenly flew off its hinges as if hit by something. "Let them go!"

Ikuto and Amu stood in the doorway. But Melanie seemed to glow in excitement. "Ooh! Kitty man!"

Ikuto stared at her in confusion. "What?"

She pulled another doll out of the chest, this one a perfect version of Ikuto. "Let's play!"

Suddenly, Ikuto couldn't move his body. The girl jumped up and down while holding Ikuto's doll, and Ikuto jumped up and down in exact synchronization with her.

"Come down with me!" Melanie exclaimed. She jumped forward, and following her instruction Ikuto leaped down the stairs. By the look of confusion on his face, Ikuto obviously hadn't meant to.

"I wanted a werewolf, but I like cats. So I just made you into a panther!"

Ikuto stared at the little girl. "You _what?_ "

She giggled. "Turn into a panther! I want to play with the kitty!"

Suddenly, the animal that Ikuto had been holding back in his chest burst free of its chains and Ikuto felt his body changing. He howled in pain as his back legs changed so he couldn't stand on them and he had to fall onto all fours. His tail grew out of his spine and claws sprouted from his fingers and toes. Ears grew out of his skull. It was just as painful as the first time.

Kukai had to think fast. "Amu, we have to get the doll! I think if we break it then it'll set him free!"

Amu stared at him in confusion. "What?"

"The doll! The doll is controlling him! They're practically one and the same!"

"I wouldn't try that, if I were you."

Kukai glared back at Melanie. "Oh yeah? And why is that?"

Melanie smiled. "Well, if you break the doll then the person disappears. I accidentally broke one of them before and I lost my favorite one. She was really nice to me."

The girl giggled. "Come here, Kitty!" As if on cue, Ikuto began walking over to her on all fours, obviously trying to resist but unable to. He sat down before her, following the doll's motion. She pet his head vigorously as if he were a big cat. "Good kitty! I've always wanted a pet!" If Ikuto were able to move, he probably would've bitten her, but no such luck.

"Why won't you let us go?!" Kukai yelled.

Melanie stared at him questioningly. "Well, I wanted a cat and a Sleeping Beauty, and you four came in. So I decided that these two would work. I'm going to keep you and your pink-haired friend for future times when I want a new doll."

A chill ran down Kukai's spine. He was planning on keeping them alive just to practically kill them whenever she felt like it. Like pigs sent off to slaughter. But he hid his fear behind bravado.

"You're sick, you know that? I don't know how can you live with yourself?!" Kukai didn't mention that technically she wasn't alive. "Your father _mummified_ you and he made a doll out of you, and yet you're making dolls out of other people and practically killing them!"

Melanie's eyes flared. "I am not! We're just playing together!"

Kukai laughed darkly. "You're not playing! In fact, they'd probably rather be anywhere else than here with you! But you're trapping them, and taking away they're freedom!"

"That is not true!" Melanie screamed. She looked back at Ikuto. "I changed my mind! I'm going to make you into a bad guy! Kitty, put him in the table!"

Dread pooled in Kukai's stomach. Ikuto tried to hold himself back, but he was unable to resist the doll's power. He bit into the back of Kukai's shirt and dragged him over to the table, throwing him on top of it. His sapphire eyes were tortured.

Melanie stepped on a stool and started strapping Kukai down to the table. "You're going to be a bad guy! You'll be out for revenge because someone... Someone stabbed you in the stomach and you almost died!" She walked over to the staircase and pulled out a knife from under it that Kukai hadn't seen before.

She stepped back up onto the stool. "Become my friend!" She raised the knife high above her head, preparing to stab him in the gut. Kukai squeezed his eyes shut.

Something shattered and the girl caught her breath. Something metal clattered on the floor. Kukai opened up one emerald eye to see Melanie's eyes wide in shock, the knife no longer in her hands.

Kukai looked over at the chest full of dolls. Standing before it was Amu, breathing hard. What used to be a blonde-haired, blue-eyed porcelain doll, shattered on the ground before her.

Melanie seemed to be choking on air. She grasped her neck as if it would help as she fell backwards, stumbling. She hit the floor, cracking her head on it, and then her eyes went blank. She only retained her shape for a moment more before she sank into the concrete as if disintegrating.

Ikuto gasped and suddenly was human again. The animal urge was still there, but he could control it again. He quickly unstrapped Kukai from the table. He could move again, but the brunette was no less terrified.

"Utau!" As soon as he was free, Kukai sprinted over to his girlfriend. She was lying still atop the pile of blank dolls, breathing softly. Showing no signs of waking up.

 _No._ This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be...

 _"I wanted a Sleeping Beauty."_

Kukai bit her lip. It was a stretch, but maybe if he was lucky... It was his one last shot.

So Kukai leaned forward and gently connected his lips with Utau's.

He released her after five seconds and stared down at her, waiting for some response. Nothing. Tears welled up in his eyes and he hugged Utau tightly to his chest. He was too late.

His chest heaved with silent sobs as he gripped her tightly. "Hey, you're choking me here." Kukai froze. He held Utau at arm's length. Sure enough, her eyes were open. She seemed a little worse for wear, but she was alive. Alive and awake.

"Oh, you scared me so badly..." Kukai whispered.

Utau laughed a little under her breath, though she'd been just as scared as him. "Kid."

"Whatever you say, Hoshina."

Ikuto grabbed his doll and Utau's. "Come on, guys. We've gotta go."

Kukai glanced at the dolls. "Why are you taking those?"

"We don't know if her dying has any effect on us. I mean, her dad died and she was still a doll, right? But that doesn't matter. I want to get as far away from here as soon as possible."

"I second that," Amu said.

"Then we all agree," Utau added.

The two couples picked themselves up and ran out of the house as fast as their legs would carry them. Amu was the only one who looked back after they were out.

She really hoped that wasn't Melanie that she saw in the window, waving them goodbye.

 **Done! Lol so that last line kinda came out of nowhere. But what do you think? Good, bad, awesome, horrible? Please review and tell me what you thought of the story! I'm thinking of doing something similar to this for Rimahiko and Yairi(?) since they weren't in this one. Would you guys read it? Please review/fave/follow! And Happy Halloween. :)**


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